Fruit-dipper.



PATENTED SEPT. 22,1903

H M. BARNGBOVER.

FRUIT DIPPER.

APPLICATION IILBD MAR. 18. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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UNITED STATES Patented September 22, 1903,

HARVEY M. BARNGROVER, OF SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-DIFFER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,531, dated September 22, 1903; 7 Application filed March 18, 1903. Serial No. 148,299. (No model.) i v To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY M. BARN- GROVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, Santa Clara county, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Dippers'; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact .description of the same.

The invention relates to the general class. of fruit-processing machines and apparatus, and particularly to machines for immersing the fruit in a liquid, which machines, by the peculiar action of their fruit-containing vessels or baskets, are commonly known as dippers.

My invention is adapted for the dippingthat is, the immersion in and removal from the liquidof fruit at any stage of its ma.- nipulation to prepare it for the market; but its particular use and the one in connection with which for the sake of illustration 1 shall describe it is what is known in the art as the processing of prunes.

As is well known, the first manipulation of green prunes is an operation for breaking their tough skins in order that in drying-the evaporation of their moisture may freely take place. This operation is eiiected by one of two methods-mo wit, either a mechanical pricking or a dipping in a caustic alkali, to which latter, though not termed processing,v my invention is applicable, but not pri marily intended for. The prunes after being thus treated are dried and then put aside in heaps until the time comes to process them for the market. This processing consists in immersing them in various liquids, according to the objects sought. For example, they are immersed in hot water to soften, swell, and clean them. Then they are immersed in one or more of several liquidssuch as glycerin, glucose, fruit-syrup, borax, soda bicarbonate, common salt, or combinations of these-which liquids are known as the dip, to give them gloss, to make them black or shiny, to remove foreign matter, or to do anything else deemed necessary to put them in marketable shape. It is this part of the processing to which my dipper is especially adapted, for in addition to the thoroughness and general efficacy of my device there is secured the main object of my invention to wit, the convenient and continuous processing of large quantities of fruit with economical expenditure of power and labor.

My invention consists generally in a fruitdipper comprising a tank or liquid-containing vessel, a series of several successive baskets so mounted that each is adapted to descend into the liquid, then to rise therefrom and to tilt forwardly to discharge its contents into the succeeding basket, and means for swinging said baskets in peculiar succession.

It also consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts, which I'shall now describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my dipper. Fig. 2 is a plan of same, the cover G being removed. Fig. 3 is a head end elevation of same. Fig. 4

rack. I v

A represents a suitable framework carrying a tank B, which contains the liquid or dip.

0 represents the dipping vessels or baskets, constructed of suitable perforated or foraminous material; These baskets are arranged in a successive series, and theremay be as many of them as desired. Concerning their number I shall use the word several in its proper sense of signifying more than two, because in order to obtain the advantages of a continuous process handling large quanti-- ties of material and causing the baskets to act alternately to receivefrom one and to deliver to another it is required to employ more than two. For the sake of illustration I show six in the series. Each basket is connected at its forward top edge with a pivotal shaft 0, journaled transversely upon frame A, and each basket is so arranged that in its lowermost position it hangs immersed in the liquid of tank B and is adapted to swing with its shaft 0 as a center in order to rise from the liquid and to tilt forwardly far enough to discharge its contents into the succeeding basket. This movement is given to the baskets by mechanism as follows: Upon one end of each pivotal shaftc is a sector-pinion c. The sector-pinions of the odd-numbered baskets are is an enlarged detail of the basketswinging sector-pinion and the engaging slide on the same end of the shafts, While those of the even-numbered baskets are on the other end of the shafts. Thus the sector-pinions' of the first, third, and fifth baskets, numbered from the left, are on one end of their respective shafts and those on the second, fourth,and sixthareontheotherend. Mounted and adapted to slide in suitable, guides or of the frame A are the racks D, one on each side of the frame. The teeth at of these racks are arranged, as shown, at intervals, the intervening portions presenting, as shown at (1', straight edges. The teeth 01 are adapted to engage with the sector-pinions c and by the movement of the slide-racks swing the baskets, as is obvious. The two racks slide or reciprocate in relatively opposite directions in order to impart relatively opposite movements to the sets of baskets which each actuates, for it will be readily seen that alternate baskets must be in position to receive the contents of the tilted baskets immediately preceding. Any suitable power mechanism and connections may be employed to thus move the racks in relatively opposite directions. For convenience and for illustration I have here shown a power-shaft E, with a drive-pulley c. On this shaft are opposing cranks 6, each of which is connected, by a pitman e with one of the racks D.

F is a feed-hopper havinga spoutf, adapt? ed to deliver the fruit to the first basket. Any suitable charge-regulator may be employed to control this spout. I have here shown a hinged gate 1, which has extensions projecting below its hinge, as seen in Fig. 1, said extensions resting on the peripheries of cams a (seen in Figs. 2 and 3,) mounted on shaft E, near each end, and controlled thereby to hold the gate closed and to allou it to swing open at suitable intervals.

G is a cover over the machine to retain the heat.

Before proceeding to note some essential details of construction and arrangement it will be well to describe the general operation. Suppose the tank B to contain the liquid or dip of any character and the baskets to be at their lower limit. A charge ofprunes is now delivered to the first basket, which basket in due timethat is, after the fruit has been immersed the required length of time-will rise and tilt its contents into-basket No. 2,-

which is still at its lower position. Then basket No. 1 will return and basket No. 2 will tilt its contents into No. 3, which is then in its lower position, and thereupon basket No. 2 will return. A second charge being delivered to basket No. 1, said basket will tilt and deliver its contents to No. '2, and also basket No. 3 will tilt and deliver to No. 4. Baskets 1 and 3 now return and baskets 2 and 4 deliver to 3 and 5, respectively. A third charge delivered to No. 1 will then be tilted into No. 2, while the charges in 3 and 5 will be delivered to 4 and 6. Then when 1, 3, and 5 are returned 2, 4, and 6 deliver to 3 5 and the shaking-table (not shown) at the end of the machine, and so on continuously. In such an operation as this it is obvious that the times of movement of the baskets must be properly proportioned. For example, the empty baskets must be fully returned in time to receive the charge from the hopper or the contents of the preceding baskets, which latter must be timed to deliver only when the succeeding baskets are returned. Moreover, in order to avoid the dead-lift of the swinging baskets, which would occur if all started at the same time, their times of starting, finishing, and returning must be proportionately successive-that is, one must start to rise and must have partially risen before the next starts, and so on; but these ti mes must becon fined within the limits of one stroke on each side in order to permit the completion of the return stroke on the other side, which is likewise successive. These results are obtained by the different positions of the teeth don the racks D relatively to the sector-pinions the engage. For example, in Fig. 1 the teeth 01 near the right-hand end of the rack D on the remote side have as said rack is moved forward just completed the return of No. 6, basket No. 4, as shown by the position of its operatingteeth, having been returned previously and basket No. 2 having been returned previous to No. 4. Consequently when the remote side rack is drawn back again the basket No. 6 will be started up first, then N0. 4 and No. 2 successively. Likewise,as seen in Fig. l, basket No. 5 is'just starting to rise, while baskets 3 and 1 will rise successively as the rack on the near side is drawn back. Thus the end baskets of each series start first to rise, which arrangement in practice accommodates the filling of the hopper properly. Thus the baskets act in relatively changing pairs to continuously receive and advance the charge through the series, and thus also by the relative disposition of the rack-teeth such times of movement may be given as are found best to secure the necessary time of immersion and transfer of the fruit. In order to temporarily hold the baskets in their positions at the limits of their strokes,

nal long tooth c on each side, and the teeth d of the racks have at each end a deeper notch 01 to provide for these long teeth a and to permit the engagement of the parts. When the engagement is past, the end teeth 0 rest and slide on the plain or straight edges d of the racks, thereby preventing the baskets from moving. The tank 13 may be one continuous chamberoritmaybedividedbypartitions. I have here shown a partition b and a second partition I). In the first compartment thus formedI would place hot water. In the second compartment I Would place the dip, and the third compartment 1 would useas a receiver for the drip from the last basket, which drip may be drawn off throughan outlet 6 and saved and returned to the dip.

it will be seen, Fig. 4, that each sector-pinion c has a termi- Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fruitdipper consisting of a tank to contain the liquid, a series of several successively arranged tilting baskets adapted to be immersed in and removed from the liquid in the tank and relatively disposed to discharge their contents from one to the other. successively through the series, a pinion on the piv otal connection of each basket, and a pair of relatively oppositely-reciprocating racks each engaginga pinion of alternate baskets,'whereby adjacent ones are swung in relatively opposite directionsand each basket serves, alternately, as a receiver and as a deliverer to advance the fruit through the series.

2. A fruit-dipper consisting of a tank to contain the liquid, a series of several successively-arranged tilting baskets adapted to be immersed in the tank and relatively disposed to discharge their contents from one to the other successively through the series, a pinion on the pivotal connection of each basket,

and a pair of oppositely-reciprocating racks each engaging a pinion of alternate baskets whereby adjacent baskets are swung in relatively opposite directions and each basket serves alternately as a receiver and a deliverer to advance the fruit through the series,

saidracks having their engaging teeth disposed at intervals to engage the several pinions in succession whereby the baskets are started successively.

3. A fruit-dipper consisting of a tank to contain the liquid, a series of several successively-arranged tilting baskets adapted to be immersed in and removed from the liquid in the tank and relatively disposed to discharge baskets, whereby adjacent ones are swung.

in relatively opposite directions and each basket serves alternately as a receiver and a deliverer to advance the fruit through the series.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HARVEY M. 'BARNGROVER. Witnesses:

WILL M, Buses, LAURA I. BBITTON. 

